Eastern Virginia Career College is a student-centric institution, which is focused on providing students with the best education and training. EVCC offers a 36-credit hour medical assisting diploma that includes both daytime and evening batches. The day program can be completed within 30 weeks, while the evening program can be completed within 32 weeks.  The course consists of 435 hours of theoretical education, along with 210 hours of practicum externship training. In total, the program can be completed in 735 contact hours.

The employment rate of the college for cohort 2018 was 71%, and the cumulative graduate employment rate for the past 5 years was an impressive 87.2%. The college offers both day and evening classes that can be completed within 30 and 32 weeks, respectively.

Graduates of this diploma program can take up the certification exam by NHA (National Healthcare Association) at the end of their coursework. The college fee only covers the cost of tuition, books, application, testing, technology, and facilities. Other expenses such as uniforms, 2 GB flash drive, immunizations, and additional costs of supplies are to be borne by the students.

ESCC is a part of the Virginia Community College System. Eastern Shore Community College offers a certificate program for medical assistants. The course can be completed within a year. The college accepts only 20 students annually. Students must earn and maintain a grade C or higher and an average grading score of 2.0, at least, to stay in the program and graduate. Upon graduating, the students will be eligible to take up the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)’s NCMA examination.

The module demands a total of 50 credits. The credits are divided into general and basic education. The curriculum includes two apprenticeships, one in part and two on completion of the course. Candidates have to complete the program within 3 years to be eligible for national certification. The college has a selective admission procedure, and the aspirants must apply for the program by May 1 to be considered. Students must also submit their transcripts as well by the same application deadline.

With campuses located all around Virginia, ECPI University offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and a diploma program for medical assistants. The diploma can be completed in less than a year, and the AAS degree program can be completed within 15 months through the Medical Career Institute (MCI).

Graduates of this program will be eligible to apply for the following certifications – Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification, Certified EKG Technician (CET), Certified Billing and Coding Specialists (CMAA), and Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist (CEHRS). The employment rates of ECPI’s Virginia campuses for the year 2018-19 as reported by ABHES are as follows: Roanoke: 71%, Virginia Beach: 91%, Newport News: 84%, Richmond (Emerywood): 88%, Richmond (Moorefield): 76%, and Northern Virginia: 71%.

The medical assistant diploma completes the fulfillment of 28 credits, of which 4 are the credits of the clinical externship program. On the other hand, the corresponding undergraduate degree has 34 basic credits, 21 credits in arts and science subjects, and another 6 credits in computer science and skills courses, making it coursework of 1,170 contact hours. The other 6 combined credits offer training in both medical and administrative professions.

Chester Career College is a private institute that offers an AAS degree for medical assistants. The degree program can take up to 2 years. The college has an open admission system. At CCC, uniforms, immunizations, watch with a second hand, minimum 2 GB flash drive, and other additional supplies are all responsibilities of a student, including submitting papers with a negative drug test result. The across-the-board education course mainly aims to improve communication skills.

The course framework contains the experience of two apprenticeships that will be performed under the guidance of a mentor at a local health facility. Upon the end, you will be able to take the National College Competency Test (NCCT) and National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exams.

In the case of credit transfer, the college will only accept 25% of it from the previous institution with the approval of directors. A candidate’s credits will only be considered if he earns a grade C or better. The request to transfer credits should be made 5 weeks before the enrollment.

The American National University offers a certificate program and an associate degree. The 48 credits certificate program consists of 4 terms and 12 courses and can be completed within 10 months. Similarly, the associate degree includes 4 terms and 12 courses and can take up to 20 months. The students require a total of 96 credits to graduate. A 160-hour long clinical externship is also provided by the college for a better real-world/practical experience.

The programs have day and evening, both class formats for giving flexibility to the working students. Due to the small classroom size, every student receives personal attention. Their career service department helps the graduates with resume, interview tips, and job search. The college also claims to extend its support even after graduation by providing its former students access to career services feature and refresher course under their special alumni program.

The university is also known for its collaborative culture that allows candidates to grow continuously towards the betterment of society. According to the 2017 cohort statistics, the exam pass rate of ANU’s Roanoke Valley campus was 66.7%.

Bryant & Stratton College provides students with the flexibility to choose between campus and online study with a Medical Office Assistant Diploma and an Associate of Applied Science degree. While a diploma may be completed online, the degree only matches the compass format. If you are tending to pursue a career in the front office duties, then a diploma will work best for you. However, if you are serious about gaining the full potential of that degree, it should serve you well.

The major credit requirement for the diploma program is 24 and 38 for the associate degree. The MA students are required to provide a recognized CPR certification (healthcare level) prior to enrolling for the programs. The college also has provisions for day and evening classes both. However, it is at the college’s discretion to cancel the evening classes whenever they deem necessary.

Fortis College provides a medical assistant program that helps prepare potential medical workers for the healthcare field. The college believes in offering safe and convenient options for all the traditional as well as non-traditional candidates. By registering at Fortis, you will be able to get the support and resources you need throughout your program (and beyond) to make sure you keep up with the job opportunities on offer.

The student-teacher ratio at Fortis means classroom sizes allow for personal, in-person, and online attention. The retention rate of Norfolk campus for the year 2019 was 73%, and 56% was the placement rate. Correspondingly, the placement and retention rates for the same cohort of the second campus (Richmond) were 62% and 73%, respectively.